Moving from Debate to Dialogue with a Justice Talking Radio Broadcast

The graduate students, who had experienced the Justice Talking format in their composition theory and practice course, went on to lead their first-year students in a similar project the following semester.  In first year composition, using sources effectively is a difficult task, and it is very difficult for students to achieve competence. The assignment was designed to help students learn the art of entering an academic conversation.

Students formed smaller groups of 3-4 members, selected their own topics, and produced a minimal version of the show with four roles only and a relatively brief live debate.  Their shows were performed during the final exam period.

The small group collaboration served the larger purpose of invention and functioned as a prelude to an individually-written argument. However, multiple small groups were difficult to manage and didn’t produce the kind of classroom community that the other whole-class collaborations did. The first-year students were not as intellectually mature and were less willing to argue perspectives that deviated from their own.

To emphasize that the purpose of this exercise was to influence an audience, instructors asked the audience to vote their positions both before and after the debate.  Clearly, the class experienced some change in thinking after listening to available arguments. Though participants were initially frightened to speak up in front of the class, it became difficult to call time because they wanted to extend the conversations.